Edward Edgerton was
born circa 1746.Family tradition says
that Edward emigrated from Ireland, however documentation of his ancestry or parentage has
yet to be found.Edgerton Family
History (Ina C. Dunwiddie; Beaver Dam, Wis., 1952) states that, “about
1768 one Edward Edgerton came from Ireland
to America
and settled at Hanover, N. H. (sic)”.Similar information is found in other secondary sources; and the
Latter Day Saints’ International Genealogical Index references Edward’s birth
as “1750, Ireland”.

Edward settled in Hanover, Luzerne
County, Pennsylvania,
where he resided until his death in 1819.

The first definitive records
we have of Edward Edgerton are those of his service in the Revolutionary
War.He enlisted at Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
on February 1, 1776 as a private in the Sixth Pennsylvania Battalion.According to Edward’s Revolutionary War
Pension File (File #W7086), Edward had enlisted at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania,
and served in the Pennsylvania Continental Line.The pension file also contains numerous
details regarding the family of Edward Edgerton, as cited below.

Edward Edgerton was married
in February 1787 to Prudence Dilley (aka. “Dilly”).From later census and military records (see
below), it is inferred that Prudence was born in Pennsylvania circa 1766 – 1769.Prudence was probably a daughter of Richard
Dilley Sr., who was listed, along with his son “Richard Jun.” in the 1790
Federal Census of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (pg. 146).[An Adam Dilley was also listed in the 1790
Federal Census of Luzerne County.]The
names Jesse, Richard, James and Mary occur frequently in both the Edgerton
and Dilley families of Hanover.According to the aforementioned Pension
File of Edward Edgerton, a “Mary Dilly” was present at the wedding of Edward
and Prudence.This was probably
Richard Dilley Jr.’s wife, Mary (aka “Polly”) Vogt.Edward Edgerton’s will (see below) shows
that his wife, Prudence, had inherited land from the estate of Richard Dilley
Sr., however it is not specifically stated that she was Richard’s daughter.

Edward and Prudence (Dilley)
Edgerton resided for most of their married life in Hanover, Pennsylvania.They had a family of nine children, all
presumably born in Hanover:

i.James, b. July 28, 1789.

ii.Mary (“Polly”), b. February 24, 1792, married ----
Hoover.

iii.John, b. September 4, 1793; died young.

iv.Jesse, b. June 9, 1795, died young.

v.William, b. June 8, 1798; died young.

vi.Jesse, b. June 4, 1799, married Jane
Whipple.

vii.Ruth, b. January 31, 1805, married Anthony
Wilkinson.

viii.Richard D., b. July 25, 1807; married Eleanore
Miller.

i.Elijah, b. ~1811, married Rebecca Nagle.

Edward Edgerton was listed
as a head of household in the 1790 Federal Census of Luzerne County,
Pennsylvania (pg. 147).According to
the census enumeration, his household consisted of:

1 male “of 16 years and upwards” (Edward);

1 male “under 16 years of age” (son James); and,

1 female (wife Prudence).

In the 1800 Federal Census
of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
(pg. 330), Edward’s name was written as “Edward Adjutant”, and his household
consisted of:

1 male “of 45 years and upwards” (Edward);

1 male “of 10 and under 16” (son James);

1 male “under 10 years of age” (son Jesse);

1 female “of 26 and under 45” (wife Prudence); and,

1 female “under 10 years of age” (daughter Mary).

Edward and Prudence Edgerton
may have resided for a short time in Machackemeck, Orange County, New York.According to the Latter Day Saints’
International Genealogical Index, their eldest son, James, was baptised at
the Dutch Reformed Church there on July 4, 1791.There are no records of baptisms mentioned
for any of the other children.

Edward Edgerton applied for
a Revolutionary War Pension File on April 16, 1818.He was residing in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
at the time of the application and listed his age as 72 years.Edward was subsequently placed on the
Luzerne County Pension Rolls on November 2, 1818, with his pension commencing
as of April 16, 1818.According to the
Pennsylvania Pension Rolls of 1835, Edward received an annual pension of
$96.00, with a total disbursement of $181.03.He was dropped from the pension rolls under the Act of May 1, 1820
(subsequent to his death).

Edward Edgerton died at Hanover, Pennsylvania
on March 31, 1819.He left a Last Will and Testament, dated
January 23, 1819, which was filed in the Luzerne County Will Book, Volume A,
page 216.Edward’s will was proved on
April 14, 1819, and mentioned his wife, Prudence, and six children:sons James Edgerton, Jesse Edgerton,
Richard D. Edgerton and Elijah Edgerton; and daughters Polly Hoover and Ruth
Edgerton.

Edward’s wife, Prudence,
survived him many years.On September
29, 1841, she applied for a Revolutionary War Pension as the widow of Edward
Edgerton.At the time, she was a resident
of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and listed her age as 72
years.Prudence was recorded in the
1850 Federal Census of Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania,
residing in the household of her youngest son, Elijah.She was enumerated as “Prudence Edgerton,
aged 84, born in Pennsylvania”.

The descendants of Edward
and Prudence (Dilley) Edgerton have not yet been researched in great
detail.There is no further account of
the eldest son, James, beyond his listing in the 1800 Federal Census.Edward’s will suggests
that James probably disappeared and was not heard of again.The second surviving son, Jesse, was
married to Jane Whipple and had at least three children:one son, Jesse, and two daughters, Susan
and Ruth Ann.Richard D. (perhaps
“Richard Dilley” after his grandfather) was married to Eleanore Miller and
had a large family of at least seven children:Prudence E., Addison Joseph, Ruth Ann,
Edward F., Annis J., Elijah, and Amos.Richard later removed to St. Joseph County,
Michigan, where he settled in ParkTownship.He and his wife, Eleanore, both died there,
and most of their children resided in St. JosephCounty.The youngest son, Elijah, was married to
Rebecca Nagle and at least one son, Charles Nagle Edgerton, born in Pennsylvania circa
1860.Edward’s two daughters were each
married – Mary (“Polly”) to a Mr. Hoover and Ruth to Andrew Wilkinson.Ruth removed with her husband to White County, Illinois.There is currently no account of Mary’s
descendants (if any).The following is
a brief outline of the known descendants of Edward Edgerton.